I’ve been doing some research recently about the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 and I’ve started reading some of the narratives of the refugees who were forced to flee Smyrna and escape to mainland Greece. I’m really interested in how memories of that event have shifted over the years and how the children and grandchildren of those refugees remember (and also forget) this tragic history. My grandfather’s family was originally from a town just outside of Smyrna. They left when he was just a small child and eventually settled in Mytilini. My mother left Lesvos when she was in her 20s; she came to Canada and married my father who is from Cyprus. I’m really interested in this history and I’m considering doing this subject for my dissertation, specifically how personal and collective memories of the Asia Minor catastrophe have shaped the identities of Greeks in the larger diaspora. I’m going to begin posting more detailed blogs as I learn more about this history. If anyone would like to share family memories and personal stories about the expulsion and resettlement of Asia Minor refugees I would love to hear from you. Please post your thoughts and stories and perhaps we could build a sort of community. Thanks!
